Many communication antennas are “directional” in that they must be aligned in a desired direction, or must maintain a specific orientation, in order to transmit communication signals to, and/or receive communication signals from, a particular remote communication device or system. One example of such an antenna is a parabolic “dish” antenna typically associated with Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) and related satellite television systems. Such an antenna typically must be directed at the intended source satellite within a relatively small angular tolerance to allow the parabolic surface of the antenna to direct the received television signals to a low-noise block-converter (LNB) or similar signal-receiving circuitry of the antenna to capture the television programming reliably.
During the antenna installation process, a satellite system installer typically employs the television receiver or “set-top box” connected to the antenna, or a separate electronic device, to monitor the strength or intensity of the satellite signal being received as the installer alters the angular orientation of the antenna to search for the orientation at which the received signal strength is maximized. To this end, the installer adjusts the antenna orientation in any or all of three angular directions: azimuth (i.e., left and right parallel to the horizon), elevation (i.e., up and down perpendicular to the horizon), and polarization or “skew” (i.e., rotationally about a central axis perpendicular to, and passing through, the dish portion of the antenna).
Generally, the angular adjustment process is painstaking, and may sometimes result in a less-than-optimum antenna orientation due to the difficulty inherent in altering three separate angles of the antenna representing three degrees of freedom while searching for the maximum signal strength. Furthermore, even if the initial angular adjustment of the antenna made during installation is accurate, events such as high winds and unintentional contact with the antenna may move the antenna from its desired orientation, typically resulting in unacceptable signal reception. Moreover, such a lack of signal strength may also occur as a result of foliage obstructions, electronic failures, and other causes, making a definitive diagnosis of antenna misalignment uncertain without an on-site customer service call.